Tranquility and Joy through Nature's Beauty and Light. Starlisa's Fine Art Photography of the Pacific Northwest

Monthly Archives: January 2014

Sometimes when you think you have a handle on life, a whirlwind kicks up and sends you off in a new direction, perhaps a bit tattered and torn, with new scars for show and tell.
In this case, a family death brings a trip to Utah with my older Brother and his daughter. While making preparations for this, my elderly Sister had chest pain and was cold and clammy, so we called 911 and went with her to the hospital where she spent one night. Fortunately she stabilized again, and the upside is that we were able to discharge her directly to a Care Center for a few days while I take the trip to Utah so I won’t be worrying about her safety when I am gone. I was dog sitting and found family to care for the dog and cats as well. Now I just have to go home and pack!

Meanwhile I wanted to share a series of light paintings I have made on my iPhone and iPad. These are from an app called Silk, which is wonderfully soothing and meditative. Hope you enjoy! Our regularly scheduled nature photography will return soon

Also check out the links in the sidebar where you can purchase my fine art prints or visit me on Flickr or Facebook. I do have a few 2014 calendars left for sale, and a few books.

Glorious view to the West to Southwest in the Columbia River Gorge on January 14, 2014. CLICK ON PHOTO to see higher resolution or purchase prints, or contact me directly at starlisa.black@gmail.com for all the options in prints. See list in sidebar menu for pricing lists.

I had a stupendous evening up on this hill in Washington not far from White Salmon, watching the sky flare up then fade back down. Color lasted for over an hour in the clouds as though a magic wand had waved over them so they could hold the color.

A bit later, looking South at Mount Hood, colors were becoming more pastel

Mount Hood with lenticular cloud nearby to the East, and color everywhere.CLICK ON PHOTO to see this one in the Photo Galleries

This last shot is a 3 frame panorama taken as the sunset was just getting going, earlier than the previous images.

This Panorama can be seen at better resolution or ordered as a print by CLICKING on the PHOTO

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Thank you for coming to visit, and feel free to use the share buttons, my images are copyrighted and any use besides the share button must go through me first.

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Thursday Jan. 16 from 5-8 pm is a Community Business Fair in the event room at Skyline Hospital. Admission is free, there will be food samples and raffles… come have fun if you are in the area! Click on the poster below to go the Mt. Adams Chamber site for more information

Many times in life I have stood and watched as the sunset faded and twilight blue hour came on. And several of those times I have watched as cloud spun like whirling dervishes in the fading blue light as the stars began to peek out one by one.

Like this:

This first photo was taken by my bro Larry Andreasen, also known as bobshots on Flickr. Kind and gentle soul, he captured a feeling of timelessness here that I love about the lake.

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At times when the wind blows, it seems to pull me right out of my body and take me on a journey through life and time, as senses expand and tingle and scents from long ago drift by in full color.

Myself out in the fields of flowers with my old dog Rio. This photo was taken by my good friend Janice Lorentz.

Before I got seriously into photography in about 2007, I wrote.. pages and pages of emotional processing after losing loved ones, interspersed with descriptions of the beauty around me. Tonight the mood returned for a bit. If you are only here for the photography, now is the time to close the page and return to browsing.

This photo below is from around 1994-96. Looking at it now, and then looking in the mirror I am surprised at the difference. I keep thinking of cutting my hair off once again like I did back then, but now it would be half gray, with many more lines and wrinkles in the face and each wrinkle with a story behind it. As to the hair, I wonder if the curls would return if it was short again. Mom’s were…her hair was so pretty and silver curling around her laughing face. and her wrinkles were soft and full of love. Funny how time slowly erodes us away. Back when this photo was taken 20 years ago (oh gosh is it really 20?) I even cared more how I look… now i just dress guerilla style, rough and tough, ready to be out in all conditions at any moment. Forget to brush my hair some days and my clothes don’t always match. At least my socks still do!

Myself and husband David Reel in about 1994-96. He passed away on January 16, 1996.Clicking on this image will take you to a previous post of memories.

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I hear the wind whipping around outside tonight and feel the spirits dancing free, unhindered now by bodies that were failing. My mind seems to jump and spin as the clouds whip on by, and the moist air washes through my body as I breathe in deeply. Perhaps if I step into that wind it might carry me far and wide to see the lands I dream of, the friends I have only met online, and the places where the spirits dance and sing and pray to help guide us along our sometimes rocky way.

Peace be with you

always.

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Another photo of me and my old dog Rio in the wilds, taken by my friend Victor VonsalzaGosh I miss that doggie!

Larry Andreasen took the next two photos

LOL and I must include this one of me in the foggy Painted Hills one early dawn, taken by my Bro Larry Andreasen

On a wintry day, having wonderful fun on the closed road near home in White Salmon, with Larry who took the photo, and my daughter

and the darling daughter who makes my day when I hear her lovely voice

My daughter and I out playing in the snow. I did take THIS photo… the only one on the page that I took!

I have been adding and reorganizing my main photo gallery on SmugMug. What do you think, does it flow well? If you click on the photo above it will take you to a corresponding page in the Best Prints: Inspiring Light Gallery. From there you can explore many more pages! Many of these images are full of memories for me, driving somewhere at midnight to catch the Aurora, visiting friends, being late for work because of a rainbow… you get the idea. I pour my heart and soul into my photography, and hope that the joy and awe present in that moment comes through in the image I create.

Prints can be purchased via the link above (the photo), but I also can create Metal Prints, Canvas Prints, Thin Wraps and Standouts. I currently will be showing a 24×50″ triple panel image at local events. For any of these, contact me directly at starlisa.black@gmail.com, via the links under each image, or via the contact form below to ask about printing any of the images on any of these mediums.

In the previous post you will see information about a local community Business Fair in White Salmon, WA. This next photo will take you to that post.

This Triptych is being printed on Metal, and each panel is 16×24″ in size, giving a combined wall size of 50×24″. You can read more about the event this will be displayed at locally by clicking on this image.

I confess to never really being a community organizer type, spending more of my time out in the woods and mountains taking photos to share, but I am so impressed with the new lively and fun team of ladies running the Mt. Adams Chamber now that it is a joy to jump on board and help where I can.

Starlisa Black Photography will be set up there also with a display of the latest work, and happy to meet more of you and talk local scenery.

Click on this photo for my About the photographer page

(yep, that is me, Darlisa Black. I grew up in Husum and White Salmon)

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HERE is the new Triptych image, printed on metal and ready to hang. It glows! This will the first time I am hanging this new print anywhere.

This Triptych is being printed on Metal, and each panel is 16×24″ in size, giving a combined wall size of 50×24″. List price to purchase such a display of this or another image would be $690.00. The metal prints are Brilliant color that last for generations, ready to hang, scratch resistant and washable with window cleaners.

I will also have a few books, calendars and cards at the Business Fair, as well as other large prints to display. Come see us Thursday January 16th at Skyline Hospital downstairs!

Tonight January 4th we had another lovely sunset in the PNW, and again I caught just the tail end going into twilight from White Salmon, Washington. Here are tonight’s images! Click on the image to see it bigger on my photo sharing site. The previous post was another sunset in the Gorge on January 2, 2014. It is already a good year!

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also regarding my calendars this year… I am out of both Mount Adams and The Gorge, but I still have desk Calendar and Fire Calendars. You can see more about those and my coffee table books here, just click on the photo below:

My photography

Tip Jar Donations

If you enjoy the work I share, consider helping with a tank of gas or other expenses, so that I may continue sharing my bit of paradise with you. My old truck is not going to last much longer! I started with nothing, and no money to do promotion, but you have all helped me in one way or another get to this point and I thank you all. My current primary job is part time caregiving of sister. Contact me at starlisa.black@gmail.com about availability and purchase of different images you see,and like. Consider dropping something in to my Tip Jar so that I can keep sharing photos, Let me know if I can thank you publicly with a post., or include an email or PO address so I can thank you that way.